Methods and Systems for Adaptive Imaging for Low Light Signal Enhancement in Medical Visualization

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sequence of reference video frames comprises frames from the sequence of low light video frames.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising acquiring, with the image acquisition assembly, a sequence of higher intensity light video frames generally having a higher light intensity than the low light video frames, wherein the sequence of higher intensity light video frames are acquired substantially simultaneously with the sequence of low light video frames.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the sequence of reference video frames comprises frames from the sequence of higher intensity light video frames.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein assessing relative movement between the image acquisition assembly and the object comprises measuring changes in pixel intensities in a plurality of the reference video frames.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein assessing relative movement between the image acquisition assembly and the object comprises determining a representative pixel intensity for each of a plurality of subregions in the plurality of reference video frames, and characterizing the changes in representative pixel intensity for the subregions in the plurality of the reference video frames.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the level of image processing of the low light video frames comprises adjusting the quantity of low light video frames from which the characteristic low light video output is generated.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the quantity of low light video frames comprises setting the quantity of low light video frames to a first predetermined value if the relative movement between the image acquisition assembly and the object is below a first motion threshold.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein setting the quantity of low light video frames to the first predetermined value comprises gradually increasing or decreasing the quantity of low light video frames to the first predetermined value over a series of frames of the characteristic low light video output.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein adjusting the quantity of low light video frames comprises setting the quantity of low light video frames to a second predetermined value if the relative movement between the image acquisition assembly and the object is above the first motion threshold, the second predetermined value being lower than the first predetermined value.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein setting the quantity of low light video frames to the second predetermined value comprises gradually increasing or decreasing the quantity of low light video frames to the second predetermined value over a series of frames of the characteristic low light video output.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein setting the quantity of low light video frames to the third predetermined value comprises gradually increasing or decreasing the quantity of low light video frames to the third predetermined value over a series of frames of the characteristic low light video output.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein adjusting the quantity of low light video frames comprises gradually increasing or decreasing the quantity of low light video frames toward a predetermined value over a series of frames of the characteristic low light video output.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the characteristic low light video output from the quantity of the low light video frames comprises averaging pixel intensities of the quantity of the low light video frames on a region-by-region basis.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising adjusting a low light video frame exposure period based at least in part on the relative movement between the image acquisition assembly and the object.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying at least one of the characteristic low light video output and the reference video frames on a display.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling a timing scheme of a visible light source illuminating the object, an excitation light source illuminating the object, and the image acquisition assembly based at least in part on the relative movement between the image acquisition assembly and the object.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed continuously.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the sequence of low light video frames comprises a sequence of fluorescence video frames.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the sequence of low light video frames comprises a sequence of reflected light video frames.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the sequence of reference video frames comprises a sequence of reflected light video frames.

24. A fluorescence imaging agent for use with the method of claim 1 for imaging an object during blood flow imaging, tissue perfusion imaging, lymphatic imaging, or a combination thereof.